Clean the House

Apropos of the report Uproar in Houses over Soren saga (November 30), there should be a constitutional amendment forbidding anyone from contesting elections if they have been charge-sheeted for a criminal offence. Unless they are acquitted by the courts, they should also be expelled from the membership of the party concerned.

Mahesh Kumar
via e-mail

II

Shibu Soren carries the dubious distinction of being the first Union minister to be convicted for murder. But he is not the only politician with a criminal background. It is indeed sad that leaders like Soren, Lalu Yadav, Mayawati are the ones with a hold on the masses.

It is doubtful that our political leadership will try to address the problem of criminalisation of our political system. Unless the voter rejects the likes of Soren, we cannot hope for a healthy, clean and strong democracy.

Ved Guliani
Hissar

Condemn the killer

With reference to the report Bharati Yadav deposes, finally (November 30), it will be unfortunate if she manages to get her brother, the main accused in the Nitish Katara murder case, acquitted. Bharati should be true to her conscience and ensure that justice is delivered. Perhaps she herself fears for her life. But then, that is all the more reason that the murderers such as her brother are punished.

Ranjana Manchanda
via e-mail

Politics of security

Apropos of Battling insecurity (November 30), Sitaram Yechury has highlighted the security lapses during the BJP-led NDA government’s term. But he forgot to mention that had politicians, across the board, behaved maturely over sensitive issues, like the defacing of a statue in Maharashtra by hooligans, at least some of the issues concerning internal security at present would have not existed at all.